


Dangerous Intent

by Daidairo



Series: Moonshine and Ballad [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: F/M, Mulan AU, Romantic Comedy, and we're back to the land of, hints of ust here you have been warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23313670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daidairo/pseuds/Daidairo
Summary: Sequel to "The Ballad of Moon".When ordered to travel half-gear, two soldiers would split between them a one-man tent, water, food, rope, weapons, and emergency first aid supplies. In such situations, speed was of a higher priority than comfort, and, though a tight fit, two could fit well enough in the small tent.What Gladion didn't realise was that the level of discomfort would go up a hundredfold when your tent partner was female.
Relationships: Gladio | Gladion/Moon
Series: Moonshine and Ballad [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676542
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	Dangerous Intent

**Author's Note:**

> For Gladmoon Day 4: Po Town - Danger/Deception
> 
> I actually really liked this AU when I wrote it last year, and I considered doing other oneshots in the same universe... but never got around to doing so until now haha.

Life in the West Reserve Army was often fraught with danger.

With half of the country's able-bodied men drafted into the war, some of the biggest problems lay in the form of bandits. Bandits hoping to find easy pickings in small towns, by killing a couple of untrained young men and scaring the women into handing over their jewellery.

It was a damned nuisance, considering they had to stand by the West border in case of more attacks from Tyahr, but they couldn't possibly ignore the threat to the people. In the end, Gladion ordered most of the army to stay put at Lanakila Garrison (leaving Nanu in charge), and rode off with a small team to deal with the bandits.

Following the directions left by their scouts, the group of eight rode swiftly along the south coast road. Despite their steady pace, the advance rider only caught sight of the bandits' group in the late afternoon.

"They're about half a day's ride away," Hau reported. "If we push on now, we could launch a night attack and catch 'em by surprise."

Moon shook her head slowly. "We've ridden hard all day, and the horses are tired. It doesn't make sense to rush into battle tonight," she said. "We should set up camp for the night, and hit them tomorrow instead."

Gladion hesitated. Delaying meant that there was the possibility of them losing the trail. The bandits might also increase their pace and hit the next town earlier than expected.

But Moon was right about not pushing the horses (or the men) into a battle after a long day in the saddle. Though Gladion was confident that they were far more skilled than the bandits in terms of fighting skill, there was no sense in taking chances. One wrong move, and they could all lose their lives.

Glancing at the setting sun, Gladion came to a decision. "We'll do as Sun says," he said. "Kiawe, Gold, secure the perimeter. We're stopping for the night. "

* * *

When ordered to travel half-gear, two soldiers would split between them a one-man tent, water, food, rope, weapons, and emergency first aid supplies. In such situations, speed was of a higher priority than comfort, and, though a tight fit, two could fit well enough in the small tent.

What Gladion didn't realise was that the level of discomfort would go up a hundredfold when your tent partner was female.

Though he had discovered Moon's gender more than three weeks ago, it had never really been an issue. Sure, he had had to work at not calling her 'Moon' or using female pronouns, in case he gave her away, but otherwise, life had gone on pretty much the same as it did before he learned the truth.

He hadn't thought about it when he was setting up the sleep and watch roster, and assigned him and Moon to share a tent (Moon's usual tentmate, Ilima, was still at Lanakila, while he normally had a tent to himself. Perks of being Captain). He hadn't thought about it when they said good night to the others. He didn't even think of anything beyond 'oh, yeah' when Moon disappeared to use the privy before turning in.

But now that they were in the tent together, Gladion could think of nothing else.

He was used to danger, to feeling that mix of anxiety and uncertainty, something he faced every time they go on the battlefield. Yet, for some reason, lying in a tiny tent with Moon behind him was evoking a similar sense of peril.

He lay on his side, facing one canvas wall. Although it was a cold night, he felt warm, almost too warm. Partly because of the thick sheet of his bedroll... partly because of the heat from the arm and hip pressed against his back. He could hear the quiet sounds of her breathing (probably because he could barely breathe), deep and even. Every now and then, the fabric of the bedroll rustled as she moved slightly.

During his days of training, Gladion had had to squeeze in a bedroll with other team mates as well. It was a normal, frequent occurence. They were simply sharing a tent for convenience, lying next to each other for a few hours to sleep. He had done so easily, without any discomfort beyond the usual annoyance when his tent mate kicked. So he should be used to this. There shouldn't be any difference.

Except there was.

And if he were being honest, he knew exactly _why_.

Gladion shifted, stiff from tension. He exhaled, trying to force himself to relax. Moon was there under the guise of a man, in the position of a soldier. She was wearing the same simple uniform that everyone else wore (not a dress), and she smelt of the same river water, with the smallest hint of the olive soap, just like everyone else (rather than roses or violets or whatever it was that women normally smelt like). She rode and shot and fought just as well as the rest of the men (better than most when it came to the bow, in fact). She was, without a doubt, one of their best recruits.

Still, this was too damned _intimate._

He shifted again, trying to tuck himself closer to the side of the tent.

"You're hogging the sheet."

Gladion froze at the slightly accusatory voice.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Some of the cloth had gotten caught underneath him, and he turned, hauling handfuls of it towards Moon.

She was facing him, having rolled onto her side as well.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing." His answer was immediate, and curt.

Moon raised her eyebrows at him.

"You've been fidgeting and sighing for at least an hour, instead of going to sleep like you told everyone to do. That's not 'nothing'," she pointed out.

He could feel his face turning pink. Damn his fair complexion. Hopefully, with only a bit of moonlight filtering through the tent, it was too dark for Moon to notice, "It's nothing, really. Go back to sleep," he said. He turned his back on her once more, careful not to pull the sheet with him.

A gentle touch slid across the palm of his hand. Gladion shivered, his fingers curling in instinctively before he realised-

He sat up at once, jerking his hand away from Moon's.

She sat up as well, her lips twitching, her eyes amused.

Gladion swallowed. She had guessed.

"Seriously?" Moon asked. "After all this time?"

"Shut up," Gladion muttered. If his face was pink earlier, it had to be absolutely crimson now. He glared at the entrance flap of the tent.

"Is it your virtue you're worried about, or mine?" The amusement had crept into her voice, sending a twinge of annoyance down his spine. If it weren't for the fact that they were surrounded by three other tents, she'd probably be laughing her head off.

"This... this isn't... right," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "You shouldn't be... You shouldn't have to..."

He trailed off, unsure of how to phrase the scrambled thoughts in his mind.

"You do realise I've been sharing a tent with Ilima for more than five months now?"

"That does _not_ make it any less inappropriate!"

It came out a little louder than he intended, and Gladion winced, hoping that no one else was awake enough to have overheard.

"Gladion, listen." She touched his shoulder lightly, and he turned reluctantly to look at her. Her face was half in shadow, but he could see her lips curving in a faint smile. Her untied hair was curling slightly on her shoulders, framing her small face.

Sometimes, he wondered how anyone could look at her and not see a woman.

"I'm touched by your consideration. Really, thank you," Moon said. "But I made the choice to come here. To make my bed, literally, in an army of men. So I'm going to lie in it."

"But you're not a man." The words came out before Gladion could stop them, and again, he winced, knowing it sounded awful and discriminatory. "I didn't mean..."

"I know." Moon chuckled softly. "I've already seen the lion's share of naked man-bodies, and heard every crass joke under the sky, and dealt with being squashed at the bottom of a human pyramid. Not to mention looking death in the face at least twice a month. None of which are usual experiences for those of my gender."

Although she spoke brightly, Gladion knew that it could not have been easy, especially when her voice trembled a little on the word 'death'.

"Being in the army... is dangerous," he said at last.

"It is. But that goes for everyone, not just me," Moon said. "We faced the Tyahrian mercenaries together, and we're facing the bandits together. We might have to face the Skullions as well. Each time we go to battle, any of us could die. In spite of all that... No, _because_ of all that, I choose to stay here, and fight with everyone."

Her eyes, almost black in the dim light, were steady and unwavering. Not for the first time, Gladion found himself marvelling at her determination. Still...

"Don't you ever regret enlisting?" he asked. "Because of... you know."

"Maybe sometimes," Moon said with a grin. "When I'm dying for a bath because everyone stinks. When it's cold as winter solstice and I'm on watch duty and we can't light a fire. When Ilima is exhausted and starts snoring. He's _very_ loud."

In spite of himself, Gladion let out a short huff of laughter. "That's not what I meant."

"I know." Moon smiled as well. "But no one else knows about my gender. Just Cilan and Ilima. Cilan is nice, and Ilima is more interested in Victor. And since they've both promised to keep my secret... I'm good."

"And if, one day, the others do find out?"

"Then I'll deal with it when it happens," Moon said simply. "Remind everyone that I'm the one keeping them alive with my brilliant strategies. Fight those who try anything funny."

She was, without question, the strongest woman he knew. But again, he heard the quaver in her voice, sensed that she was less confident than she tried to appear. Her shoulders were hunched, slightly tense, and he had to quell the instinctive urge to put his arm around them.

Instead, he quirked an eyebrow. "So sure that you'd win?"

"If I lose, I'll just threaten to never cook cottage pie for them again." Moon said cheerfully.

Gladion smirked. "Good plan." It was an effective threat.

"Besides," Moon added with a quiet laugh and a small shrug, "it's not like I'm anybody's idea of a ravishable lady."

"That's not true."

Again, the words spilled out before he realised what he was saying. Moon froze, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. He could feel the heat rising to his ears again, mirrored in her swiftly reddening face, less than two feet away from his. A long, painful silence hung between them as they stared at each other.

Gladion broke it first, clearing his throat and throwing himself back to his original position with a thud, facing the tent wall. Facing away from her.

"It's late, we should turn in," he said hastily as he folded his arms and closed his eyes.

"R-right. Good night." From the rustles and the pull of the sheet, he knew that Moon had lain down as well. This time, she didn't touch him.

It was a long time before he managed to fall asleep.

* * *

_Warm._

Gladion awoke slowly. His eyes were still shut, lagging behind the rest of his senses. He became aware of a comfortable weight in his arms, and automatically, he tightened his hold. Something soft was pressing against his neck, something with quiet breaths that tickled him delicately.

He stirred. A serene sigh sounded just by his clavicle, a sweet, almost tender sound. He could feel the vibrations on his skin, somehow making him feel restless and relaxed at the same time. He wanted to hear that sigh again, wanted to feel more of the warm softness all around him, wanted to touch that tender, smooth skin, to nuzzle his lips against...

Gladion blinked. For a moment, he was disoriented. Why did he have a warm, pliable body stretched half on top of him, legs tangled with his, when they were obviously lying in a military tent?

The answer hit like a battering ram. Desperately scrambling up, kicking the sheet away from him, he didn't stop moving until he was crouched in the entrance. With the tent flap falling over one shoulder, he stared at Moon, still curled up against the dent in the bedroll.

Gladion swallowed. It shouldn't have happened. He had no right to... to touch her like that. She was one of his soldiers', for Bulu's sake!

But his entire body was hot with the memory of her, his hand was still curved in the shape of her cheek. He could still feel the phantom breath against his neck, and the pulse beating against his own.

There wasn't even a river close by for him to dunk himself in cold water.

Gladion closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe. In. Out. Again. It took him a few minutes to calm his racing heart down a bit, to get his brain into working order.

When he was able to look again, he saw that Moon had rolled onto her back. Her eyes were still closed, her lips slightly parted. In sleep, the lines of her face were smooth and relaxed. Despite the tangled, messy hair, she looked peaceful.

And very pretty.

Slowly, Gladion pulled at the sheet of his bedroll, tucking it more closely around her.

Then he rose and left the tent, silently swearing to finish off the bandits as soon as possible, for he didn't think he could handle sharing a tent with Moon again.

She was more dangerous than anything he had ever faced.

**Author's Note:**

> Hau: Morning, Sun! How'd you sleep?
> 
> Moon: Very well. I had a wonderfully comfortable pillow >D
> 
> Gladion: *overhears and almost walks into a tree*


End file.
